Louis Williams Hall and Eliza Warford

---

---

Husband Louis Williams Hall ¹

---

           Born: 4 Jul 1833 - Allegheny, Allegheny Co, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

         Father: Rev. William Maclay Hall (1801-1851) 2 3 4
         Mother: Ellen Campbell Williams (1805-1878) 2 3 4

---

       Marriage: 26 Nov 1867 1

---

---

Wife Eliza Warford ¹

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

Children

---

---

General Notes: Husband - Louis Williams Hall

---

He received a good education; studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1854. He was soon after appointed solicitor for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Altoona. That road was just opened over the Allegheny mountains, and Altoona was the location of the chief offices of the transportation of the company. Herman J. Lombaert was general superintendent with all the powers of a general manager. The office of the chief engineer was also at that point, and the location was being made there for the principal shops of the company. It being the headquarters of these offices, the position of solicitor there was an important and delicate one, and the attorney had many questions before him of immense importance to the company and its interests. Mr. Hall's practice soon became large and lucrative, not only in Blair, but the contiguous counties. In 1859, when little more than eligible, he was elected to the State Senate as the Republican candidate from the strong Democratic district of Cambria, Blair and Clearfield counties. He was appointed chairman of the judiciary committee on his first advent in the Senate, of a body composed of such legal minds as Penny, of Allegheny; Clymer, of Berks; Ketchum, of Luzerne; Welsh, of York; Palmer, of Schuylkill; Finney, of Crawford; McClure, of Franklin, and others prominent in the profession of the State. The war of the Rebellion breaking out, Governor Curtin called an extra session of the Assembly, in April, 1861, when Mr. Hall was chosen speaker of the Senate. It was at that extra session that the famous three-million-dollar-loan bill to arm the State, and other important war measures were passed. Mr. Hall was again chosen speaker at the beginning of the regular session in January, 1862. He was elected for a new term, and for another district, in which Blair county was placed in October, 1864, running largely ahead of his ticket. He was again chosen speaker of the Senate at the end of the session of 1866, and also at the commencement of the regular session of 1867, having been chosen three times presiding officer of that body, an honor never before accorded to any one. At the close of his term he declined a re-nomination, and thereafter devoted himself exclusively to the practice of his profession. Having been appointed solicitor and counsel of the Pennsylvania railroad, at Harrisburg, on the 1st of October, 1868, he took up his residence in that city, and occupied the same position, for over thirty years. He was yet in the mental vigor and prime of life, even when sixty years of age, and was probably connected with as many matters of importance in his profession as any man of his age. Among the numerous leading cases in the courts he argued may be mentioned those of the "Commonwealth vs. Credit Mobilier of America," twice tried before Judge Pearson, and twice in the Supreme Court; "Commonwealth vs. George O. Evans," the claim of the State for a very large amount; Mr. Evans being defended by Mr. Hall and the late Judge Black; "The Commonwealth vs. Pennsylvania Canal Company," being an attempt of the State by statute to compel the canal company to alter their dams, feeders and works, without compensation, so as to allow the passage of fish, the case involved probably half a million of dollars, and was decided by the Supreme Court in favor of the canal company; "James Freeland vs. Pennsylvania Railroad Company," an attempt to hold the company responsible for consequential damages caused by raising the great Clark's Ferry dam; decided by the Supreme Court in favor of the railroad company.

1 —, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Company, Publishers, 1896), Pg 435.

2 William Henry Egle, History of the County of Dauphin in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck, 1883), Pg 499.

3 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 148.

4 —, History of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner, Beers & Co., 1887), Pg 827.